D.—2

GOODS AND LIVE-STOCK. The revenue and tonnage of goods and live-stock for 1936 compare with the previous year as follows :— 1936. 1935. Increase. Per Cent. Revenue .. £4,359,750 £4,138,434 £221,316 5'35 Tonnage .. 6,188,805 6,023,960 164,845 2-74 A comparison of tonnage and revenue from 1930 to 1936 is afforded in the following table

A comparison with 1935 of the tonnage of commodities, under six main headings is as follows : —

A further comparison on the same basis of the composition of the revenue from goods traffic, as shown immediately above, for the last five years is as under: —

Traffic in agricultural products decreased by 137,851 tons. The main decrease occurred in the South Island, where the grain traffic decreased to the extent of 116,705 tons (42-79 per cent.) and £46,347 (37-86 per cent.) in revenue. Owing to the exceptionally hot weather last year, the season was very early and the yield particularly light. The current season was later than that of last year, and it was also adversely affected by heavy floods in the Canterbury District. The revenue from fruit traffic also showed the substantial decrease of £18,342 (25 per cent.), this being brought about by seasonal fluctuations particularly in the North Island, where both the 1935 and the current seasons' crops were relatively poor as a result of the extraordinary weather conditions that prevailed. Animals and their products showed a slight increase in tonnage. The number of cattle forwarded increased from 336,840 to 407,148, an increase of 20-87 per cent. This traffic has increased in each of the last three years, but the rate of increase this year exceeds that of the previous years. The substantially increased demand for cattle following the inception of the chilled-beef trade on a comparatively large scale has been responsible to a considerable degree for the very satisfactory increase in this traffic. The removal of the export restriction on veal was responsible for a big increase in the number of calves carried, the total number carried this year being 717,192, compared with 484,175 the previous year, an increase of 48-13 per cent.

XIII

Variation as compared with Previous Year in each Case. Year. Tons. Revenue. — Tons. Per Cent. Revenue. Per Cent. £ £ 1930 . .. 7,788,973 4,904,324 + 175,324 2-31 + 58,199 1-20 1931 . .. 6,957,709 4,487,357 - 831,264 10-67 -416,967 8-50 1932 .. 5,824,811 4,019,600 -1,132,898 16-28 -467,757 10-42 1933 . .. 5,490,686 3,745,777 - 334,125 5-74 -273,823 6-81 1934 .. 5,642,199 3,911,245 + 151,513 2-76 +165,468 4-42 1935 .. 6,023,960 4,138,434 + 381,761 ! 6-77 +227,189 5-81 1936 .. .. 6,188,805 4,359,750 + 164,845 | 2-74 +221,316 5-35

Variation. 1936. 1935. Tons. Tons. Tons. Per Cent. Agricultural products .. .. 477,928 615,779 -137,851 22-39 Animals and their products .. .. 1,249.003 1,227,490 + 21,513 1-75 Products of mines .. .. .. 1,894,891 1,842,462 + 52,429 2-85 Products of forests .. .. .. 493,342 449,766 + 43,576 9-69 Benzine, cement, and manures .. .. 844,494 791,372 + 53,122 6-71 Miscellaneous 1,229,147 1,097,091 +132,056 12-04 Totals .. .. .. 6,188,805 6,023,960 +164,845 2-74 I

— p - 1936. 1935. j 1934. j 1933. 1932. I I I 1 I Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Per Cent. Agricultural products .. .. .. 6-95 8-78 8-64 9-17 8-79 Animals and. their products .. .. 27-36 27-98 30-50 29-73 26-99 Products of mines .. .. .. 20-23 20-16 20-51 20-49 23-14 Products of forests .. .. .. 9-62 8-69 7-52 6-67 6-55 Benzine, cement, and manures .. 13-46 13-12 12-61 13-42 14-21 Miscellaneous .. .. .. 22-38 21-27 20-22 20-52 20-32 Totals .. .. .. 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00 100-00